HUMBER ESTUARY - A CASE-STUDY

This paper presents the results of an extensive and detailed survey conducted in 1985 on the biology, bacteriology and levels of heavy metals in subtidal sediments of the Humber estuary. The findings of the investigation are assessed with respect to environmental quality. Abundance and distribution patterns of the indicator species Capitella capitata, the numbers of faecal bacteria, and levels of heavy metals and organic matter are examined in relation to areas of sewage disposal. The possible effects of inputs from the Humber to the North Sea are discussed. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.